The world was buzzing last week when Lionel Messi notched a hat trick to tie the men's World Cup goals record.
Kansas City Current star Temwa Chawinga, who was the Coca-Cola World Cup Coin Toss ******* istant for the Group J match, had a front row seat. She got to meet Messi ahead of Argentina's 3-0 win against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday, June 16.
"Since I was young, I was watching Messi, so I'm really happy," Chawinga told USA TODAY Sports in a video interview. "It was my dream to meet him."
Chawinga is building her own resume as one of today's soccer greats. The forward was named the NWSL MVP in 2024 and 2025, the first player in league history to be given the ******* le twice in a row, and also earned the Golden Boot in those two years with 20 and 15 goals scored in each season, respectively.
Experiencing the World Cup energy in Kansas City was inspiring for Chawinga.
Kansas City Current star Temwa Chawinga, who was the Coca-Cola World Cup Coin Toss ******* istant for the Group J match, had a front row seat. She got to meet Messi ahead of Argentina's 3-0 win against Algeria at Arrowhead Stadium on Tuesday, June 16.
"Since I was young, I was watching Messi, so I'm really happy," Chawinga told USA TODAY Sports in a video interview. "It was my dream to meet him."
Chawinga is building her own resume as one of today's soccer greats. The forward was named the NWSL MVP in 2024 and 2025, the first player in league history to be given the ******* le twice in a row, and also earned the Golden Boot in those two years with 20 and 15 goals scored in each season, respectively.
Experiencing the World Cup energy in Kansas City was inspiring for Chawinga.
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